Quick report
- Aspect
- North
- Red Flags
- Recent Avalanches, Cracking, Collapsing, Poor Snowpack Structure
- Elevation
- 3109 m
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Quite a bit of cracking on steep slopes. Beginning to get some localized collapsing as well. </p>
The storm snow was much slabbier today and it showed with cracking, collapsing, and full-propagation extended column tests. I am finding the weakest snow to be the old snow surface that is buried under the weekend storm snow. This 5 cm layer is very weak, large-grained near-surface facets. (Photo below.)
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>As the recent storm snow gains strength and acts more as a cohesive slab we are beginning to see signs of an obvious PWL problem (recent avalanches, cracking, collapsing). Extended column tests the past few days were all ECTN, but today getting ECTP (< 10). Just not that much weight yet, but we clearly are getting there.</p> <p> </p> <p>Tuesday should be dry, but winds are forecasted to increase, and wind-drifting may be enough to overload some slopes. </p>
An under-producing storm with only 3-5 cms of new snow. Storm snow since Friday has settled to 20-25 cms. Wind drifts along exposed ridges were sensitive and would crack where they were on top of weaker snow.